east-lothian-1924/05-203

Transcription

STENTON.] -- HISTORICAL MONUMENTS (SCOTLAND) COMMISSION. -- [TRANENT.

Map, dated 1748, a standing stone is noted
near this spot.

xvi. N.E. (unnoted). 14 June 1913.

MISCELLANEOUS.

186. Well of the Holy Rood.-By the road-
side, rather less than 300 yards north-east of
Stenton old parish church, is a construction
housing the well. On plan the building is
circular with an internal diameter of 3 feet
10 inches ; the wall is 10 inches thick and has
a height of 5 feet 4 inches ; the doorway
measures 4 feet by 2 feet. The structure is
covered with a conical roof of overlapping
stone slabs, which is surmounted at the apex
by a crocketted finial with a cabled necking.
The well is fully described and illustrated
in Proc. Soc. Ant. Scot. 1882-83 xvii., p. 167.

xi. N.E. (" Rood Well ") 10 July 1920.

SITES.

187. Supposed Site of Church.-About 180
yards north-west of the new bridge over the
Whitadder at Friar's Crook, on a small levelled
area on the edge of an escarpment rising some
20 feet from the haugh on the left bank of
the Whitadder, which flows 100 yards distant,
are the indeterminate foundations of a building
55 feet long by 25 feet broad, the major axis
being north-west and south-east.

xvi. S.E. 6 June 1913.

188. Cairn (site of) " Fairy Knowe," Meikle-
rig.-About 150 yards west of Newbarns,
in the Roodwell Park, a field on the farm of
Meiklerig, at an elevation of about 300 feet above
sea-level stood a cairn, some 40 feet in circum-
ference, which was known by the name of
the Fairy Knowe. It was excavated in 1877
and two short cists were discovered, one
containing a cinerary urn and incinerated
remains, and the other a flint knife and a
whetstone along with burnt bones.1
1 Proc. Soc. Ant. Scot. xiv., p. 220.
xi. N.E. 20 June 1913.
[marginal note]
Early Xtions (?) cemetery
at Stenton , see Turner,
Croniology of Scotland,
pt.ii , p. 230.

The O.S. map indicates the following site:-

189. Pitcox Church and Graveyard, Pitcox.
xi. N.E.

114

TRANENT.

ECCLESIASTICAL STRUCTURES.

190. Parish Church, Tranent.-The parish
church was erected in 18001 on the foundations
of apparently a late 15th century church with
transepts and central tower, a description of
which is given in the Statistical Account, vol.
x., pp. 88-9. The remains of the priest's door,
which has moulded jambs, and the lower
courses of pre-Reformation walling are seen
in the south wall of the present building.
Similar walling is found in the west gable,
and two pre-Reformation buttresses occur at
the west end of the north wall. This pre-
Reformation church belonged to Holyrood
Abbey, having been originally granted to it
c. 1150 by Thor son of Swain, upon which
connection see Historical Note. The parish
then included Prestonpans.
The ruined mortuary aisle of the Cadells of
Cockenzie, which projects from the north wall,
has a two-light window with circled heads,
which may date from the 16th century ; the
window is now built up.
SEPULCHRAL MONUMENTS.-The church-yard
is unusually rich in sepulchral monuments.
These are described in Proc. Soc. Ant. Scot.
vols. xlv.-xlvi. (1) The most interesting me-
morial is probably that of Alexander Craufurd
a former priest of Tranent, who died c. 1489.
It is a recumbent slab now lying south of the
church, is 3 inches thick, 4 feet 1 inch
broad and has a present length of 7 feet
4 inches. A marginal inscription in Gothic
lettering reads:-
ALEXANDER : CRAUFORD : QUONDAM :
VICARIUS : DE : TRANENT : QUI : OBIIT :
DIE : MENSIS : DECBR : AN : - - - -
An Alexander Craufurd was Clerk of the
Chapel Royal towards the close of the 15th
century (ibid. xlvi., p. 141). The panel
bordered by the inscription contains a cross
set on a graded base of four steps ; the arms
have ended in trefoils. From top to foot of
base the cross measures 4 feet 10 inches.
On the dexter side of the cross a late form of
chalice, 1 foot 8 inches long, is incised, and on
the sinister is a shield bearing within a bordure
a fess ermine (Craufurd). On the chief in
Lombardic lettering are the initials A and C
flanking a star.